The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-04-01
DIR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WA~uINGroN, d. {. March 2Stl. 1881.
Secretary Whitney has placed another bril-
liant feather in tll. cap of this Administration.
Probably no Democrat not even Samuel ).
Tild..n while living, ever received snch nm
srintcd praise from the Republican press as
has been >lIowered npou him during The past
week Nothing has been done by any mem
Der Of Mr., Cleveland's Cabinet since II vas
organized more calculated to win popularity
than is the act of the Secretary Of the Navy by
which the work Of turtif, ing our Saapolis aud
building iloncadS i established on solid
Foundation.
From every side his energy and >a.aciy are
aD,Iauded. tie work he has done to begnile
bidders to accept offered terms. and The abii-
~ he exhibits i'll directing the general work of
his Department. 1t really locks too as If the
! name of Mr.. Whitney would bo associated in
! history with the building of the American
Navy. The r.>pons:. to him SO prompt
that the fitting up Of The Washington Navy
! Yard as an ordnance ia, tory for the assem-
bling aud completion Of heavy guns and steel
| forgings. will be begun soon and rapidly car
led forward Needless 1tilss can be avoided
armol plates cin be furnished i'll amnch Short
er time tina II was sui posed.
For more than eighteen months Secretary
Whitney has been ndrl>triously devising the
means that make success possible. He has
been STUDYING the conditions Of the problem
/ determining Il e leeds of defensive armor.
sauoine lie impact of pr 'ctil's fixing on
tests by which the Department will he GOV
erned, and making til, Undue IN 'ns As attract
| i've as possible.
Since all the iron founlries of the country
are pressed with uniu!iiIed engagements for
months ahead, at high prices some surprise
was expressed that there should have been a
single bid for the millions Of dollars worth of
work that was proposed. Bu, the proprietor of
the Bethlehem company foresaw that the
boom would not last. and that it would pay
to work for Uncle San eyen on more reasona-
| bic terms hecaa> l4i ID would last for a de-
cade or 80. bot !. in summer and winter. and
his pay is SIRE
Since | wrote you HE long discussed lnter-
State Commission has been c, mpted, an
nouncetl, commented upou-ani no~ it is
about to orga nizA and 90 to work. The five
LAWYERS composing 1t. an who represent the
States Of Aabaml. Illinois, Michigan, New
| ork and Vermont. are practically placed i'll
charge of private property valued at about
seven Thousand million dollars This lelnen-
dous responsibility is greatly increased when
il is remenl,>led that almost tie entire inter
nal commerce cftir country is affected by the
action at this n.w CONT.
/ No one doubts the honesty Of The members
Of The Commission. anil they re all conceded
10 b" men Of ability. blt their labors will be
complex and plel,en>ive til" new law is a
ras' prohl IN: every feature OF lis operations
more or less paii,o,l~, and whatever is done
the Commission will b. criticised AMI op pos
ed on every side. The railroad men. shippers
and travellers. p'o,!,l.'e:s and CONSUMERS are
waiting to pour complaints. qleries. c0mmtl-
ncatioIs and req upss By the thousands upon
The Commissioners as they are ready
10 receive them, and Will make lheir lives
| burdenSomr, of cnltise.
The effect Of Tie new law upon this city
will be pronounced. Practically il gives the
Capital / new Government Department.. \
large and important bureau will be orsaniz-
ed at once, a large cl-riraI and oil .a force
will be appointed By the Commission. legal
and otler represent -tives of all the railroads
in the I Eited States will be drawn here. be-
sides thousands of people interested in ques-
tiols brought before the Commission. Alto
.etLer il will add gre ,tly to the activity of the
coming summer in Washington.